Investments in artificial intelligence startups continued to surge in 2018, with investors pumping $4.2 billion into AI upstarts in the first half of the year alone, according to PwC and CB Insights' MoneyTree report.

There are a wealth of AI and machine learning startups that are aiming to improve various business processes within numerous verticals, including banking, manufacturing, retail and transportation and logistics. These companies may not be making the AI seen in sci-fi movies, but their technologies could end up becoming more consequential in our everyday lives.

CRN looked across the ever-expanding field of upstarts and identified the 10 hottest AI and machine learning startups of 2018 that are already making an impact in the channel or have the potential to.